New West End GUYS AND DOLLS- Page 2

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/15/23 at 9:01pm

This is probably one of my least favorite shows ever - having only seen the Platt revival - but I love the director/designer of this, so very interested. If you take away the immersive experience, is there anything new? Or is the sho the immersive experience? If that makes sense. Also, where would this end up here? Likely the Circle?

[JasonC3]

Posted: 3/15/23 at 9:15pm

Hmm.  Is there anything new?  Adelaide is played as less of a ditz than usual and in Havana Sky dances with a man, but other than that I'm not sure I would say anything is particularly new or novel other than the immersive elements.  It is just a very solid production overall with the immersive elements giving it a different feel and heightened energy compared to what a traditional staging usually has.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/15/23 at 10:03pm

RippedMan said: "I still remember watching the last Guys and Dolls in London on YouTub and loving it and then seeing the Oliver Platt revival and thinking the show was so dull."

The Platt/Lauren Graham revival was one of the worst productions of the show I've ever seen. I've seen community theater productions do a better job. It's really hard to screw up this show and Des McAnuff did so. Trujillos' choreo wasn't even that good.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 3/15/23 at 10:27pm

Here is a gift link to the very positive New York Times review.

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 3/16/23 at 10:18am

I’m curious about the changes to the Havana scene. 

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Time Out and Mickey Jo Theater say that Sky seduces the patrons of a gay bar, making Sara jealous. Sounds fun but confusing in terms of the story. How does it play?

 

[binau]

Posted: 4/2/23 at 2:04pm

I found the male dancing a LITTLE unexpected and forced but overall I'd say it works. A guy just asks Sky if he wants to dance and in a kind of hypermasculine "I'm comfortable with my sexuality so why not" pause and look he starts dancing with the guy in a kind of playful way (gay but not romantic, if that makes sense). 

I caught the show from the 'immersive' section. I'd say the tone of the revival to me is "transfer immediately to circle in the square and win best revival Tony" vibes. I haven't seen Here Lies Love so I don't have a good sense of whether the novelty of this show suddenly pales or feels old, but honestly it is very rare to have theatre experiences these days that feel genuinely innovative and this is one. 

A lot of people seem to be happy to not sit in the immersive section but this is where all the action is. Seeing some of those performances up-close, particularly the exceptionally well sung and acted performances from Marisha Wallace (who I would expect would transfer with the production if it ever came and could be in the running for a Tony) and Celinde Schoenmaker (who is the other person in the production I'd like to transfer and would probably at least be nominated for supporting actress). And yes, you are being moved around a little and things are moving around but that's all part of the fun. 

"Sit Down You're Rocking The Boat" really really elevated the energy in that theatre to unbelievable levels and it reminded me of seeing Bernadette sing "Send in the Clowns" where you feel everyone in that audience is completely lost in the world and loving every second of it. Absolutely incredible.

That said, can I please lead the charge and get this show dismantled from the 'greatest ever musical' list as the theatre loves to advertise out the front. Sorry but this shallow musical comedy is no where near what I'd put on a 'greatest ever musical' list, which would of course be littered with people like Sondheim, Kander & Ebb, Jerry Herman, R&H etc. I think what this show has is a KILLER, melodic score and some of those magical songs are immediately enjoyable for audiences. Otherwise thin characters, thin story, too long, too many cliches. We have moved so far past 'Guys and Dolls' I can't even see how anyone could say this is one of the greatest with a straight face. 

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/2/23 at 5:17pm

While the atmospheric aspect is fun, there is some energy that is missing in there. Mostly the choreography in Runyonland,  The Gambler's Dance and Sit Down You're Rockin the Boat. The lack of space doesn't help and the choreography looks like people just fighting for space.

I did like the new take on Black-sassy Adelaide - what a voice! It was suspension of disbelief to buy that such a strong-willed lady would wait 14 years for a guy, but it was cute.

The two numbers that worked best for me were Take Back Your Mink and If I Were a Bell.

 

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/2/23 at 5:28pm

binau said: "
That said, can I please lead the charge and get this show dismantled from the 'greatest ever musical' list as the theatre loves to advertise out the front. Sorry but this shallow musical comedy is no where near what I'd put on a 'greatest ever musical' list, which would of course be littered with people like Sondheim, Kander & Ebb, Jerry Herman, R&H etc. I think what this show has is a KILLER, melodic score and some of those magical songs are immediately enjoyable for audiences. Otherwise thin characters, thin story, too long, too many cliches. We have moved so far past 'Guys and Dolls' I can't even see how anyone could say this is one of the greatest with a straight face."

Oh god, love, you need to get your head out of Sondheim's behind. This book doesn't get better, maybe Gypsy.

Updated On: 4/2/23 at 05:28 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/2/23 at 7:11pm

I find the show to be a bore as well. 

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 4/2/23 at 7:13pm

I saw this on Thursday and had a great time. I used London Theatre Week to get a pretty affordable stalls ticket and I'm pretty glad I saw it that way. Seeing it standing looked fun, but I didn't like the idea of standing for that long or constantly being shoved around by the crew making way for a rising platform. 

The show itself was a TON of fun. Great cast and well directed! I will go see anything Bunny Christie designs and she knocked it out of the park again with this one. 

I don't know that there was particularly unique or strong directorial vision besides making this show immersive/in-the-round, but that's not necessarily a problem. 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 4/2/23 at 7:49pm

Saw it yesterday from the stalls.  It is a lively production of a generally crowd-pleasing show.  Doesn't break enough ground for me to suggest people pay top dollar for it, but if you can get a decent seat at a decent price, it is a nice evening out. 

[Owen22]

Posted: 4/2/23 at 8:17pm

I saw it on Friday night and I echo the love for this production. An excellent, excellent cast (probably the best Sarah I've ever seen). If anyone was lucky enough to see Marisha Wallace's Ado Annie in Oklahoma! at the Young Vic, that promise is fulfilled completely in her Miss Adelaide.

Incidentally,  this is where the show will play in New York when Here Lies Love inevitably closes too soon:  https://youtu.be/nadDdEpnBdI

Updated On: 4/2/23 at 08:17 PM

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 4/2/23 at 9:02pm

Owen22 said: "Incidentally, this is where the show will play in New York when Here Lies Love inevitably closes too soon:https://youtu.be/nadDdEpnBdI"

If that's not the case though, could this work at Circle in the Square?

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/2/23 at 9:25pm

Dylan Smith4 said: "Owen22 said: "Incidentally, this is where the show will play in New York when Here Lies Love inevitably closes too soon:https://youtu.be/nadDdEpnBdI"

If that's not the case though, could this work at Circle in the Square?"

Maybe in a very scaled down staging. It's not big enough.

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 6/17/23 at 8:13pm

Thought I bump this thread to share my thoughts on this production! 

★★★★★(★)
During my time here in London, I never thought I would get to take a trip back to New York as well. However, I did just that today at the Bridge Theatre here in London with their immersive production of Guys & Dolls! I didn’t realize till a few months ago that this show is probably the most popular American musical here in the UK. They always revive it every 5 to 10 years and they seem to do better and better each time. From the moment you enter the space, you are transported to 1950s NYC! The whole experience starts the moment you walk in. Now, you do have the choice to either sit or stand. I chose to sit because I don’t think I could stand for almost 3 hours. At any rate, this was a phenomenal experience! The performances by this multi-talented cast is something not to be missed! Especially the star Marisha Wallace as Mrs. Adelaide! Her Act 2 opening number, “Take Back Your Mink” just blew me away! As well as the CRAZY TALENTED Cedric Neal as Nicely-Nicely! Holly hell! His 11 o’clock number, the iconic “Sit Down, You’re Rocking The Boat”, became this gospel melody that had EVERYONE ON THEIR FEET when it ended! So good that he did it again and the crowd went wild! Even better, he DID IT AGAIN! Three times replaying the iconic song just made me happy! This whole experience will surely be a core memory in my theatre experiences and by far the BEST show I’ve seen in London so far! American audiences need to see this, so I hope a potential Broadway transfer is possible in the future! If not, I’m just glad I got to experience it! What a show! This show deserves a sixth star! Bravo!

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 6/17/23 at 8:37pm

I would agree that this is probably the best revival of the show since the 92 Broadway revival.  I hope that they see the potential in a Broadway transfer. A place like circle in the square would be great after Melissa etheridge closes up.  Or leave the Broadway theatre unchanged after here lies love closes in under a year. 

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 6/17/23 at 8:43pm

If anything, Marisha Wallace and Cedric Neal NEED to come over if this transfers! I was just BLOWN AWAY by Cedric’s Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat! After looking around at the space, they totally can do this in a large proscenium theatre like the Broadway, or even the Palace, but this would require even further renovations because of the rising floor. I’m just glad I saw it and that a cast album is coming soon. If they can’t transfer it, fingers crossed that they will film it for future release. It’s just too good to not share with people outside London! 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/17/23 at 10:09pm

Is this considered West End? Or I wonder if there is potential to transfer it there first?

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 6/17/23 at 10:57pm

RippedMan said: "Is this considered West End? Or I wonder if there is potential to transfer it there first?"

The Bridge is not West End and I was looking it up and it's not affiliated with the Society Of London Theatre, so I don't believe it'll be Olivier-eligible either. So maybe they will look at @sohoplace or a Here Lies Love-style reno for another West End/Olivier-eligible venue first. 

[bk]

Posted: 6/18/23 at 2:50am

RippedMan said: "This is probably one of my least favorite shows ever - having only seen the Platt revival - but I love the director/designer of this, so very interested. If you take away the immersive experience, is there anything new? Or is the sho the immersive experience? If that makes sense. Also, where would this end up here? Likely the Circle?"

Least favorite show ever based on one dreadful revival??? It's one of the most perfect musicals ever written - all you have to do is trust the material and do it well. The revival with Platt and others (I would hardly call it the Platt revival) was a misbegotten, misguided mess that trusted the material not one whit. I have seen countless great productions of Guys and Dolls - with stars and without. It's really hard to mess this up and yet... 

[bk]

Posted: 6/18/23 at 3:01am

binau said: "I found the male dancing a LITTLE unexpected and forced but overall I'd say it works. A guy just asks Sky if he wants to dance and in a kind of hypermasculine "I'm comfortable with my sexuality so why not" pause and look he starts dancing with the guy in a kind of playful way (gay but not romantic, if that makes sense).

I caught the show from the 'immersive' section. I'd say the tone of the revival to me is "transfer immediately to circle in the square and win best revival Tony" vibes. I haven't seen Here Lies Love so I don't have a good sense of whether the novelty of this show suddenly pales or feels old, but honestly it is very rare to have theatre experiences these days that feel genuinely innovative and this is one.

A lot of people seem to be happy to not sit in the immersive section but this is where all the action is. Seeing some of those performances up-close, particularly the exceptionally well sung and acted performances from Marisha Wallace (who I would expect would transfer with the production if it ever came and could be in the running for a Tony) and Celinde Schoenmaker (who is the other person in the production I'd like to transfer and would probably at least be nominated for supporting actress). And yes, you are being moved around a little and things are moving around but that's all part of the fun.

"Sit Down You're Rocking The Boat" really really elevated the energy in that theatre to unbelievable levels and it reminded me of seeing Bernadette sing "Send in the Clowns" where you feel everyone in that audience is completely lost in the world and loving every second of it. Absolutely incredible.

That said, can I please lead the charge and get this show dismantled from the 'greatest ever musical' list as the theatre loves to advertise out the front. Sorry but this shallow musical comedy is no where near what I'd put on a 'greatest ever musical' list, which would of course be littered with people like Sondheim, Kander & Ebb, Jerry Herman, R&H etc. I think what this show has is a KILLER, melodic score and some of those magical songs are immediately enjoyable for audiences. Otherwise thin characters, thin story, too long, too many cliches. We have moved so far past 'Guys and Dolls' I can't even see how anyone could say this is one of the greatest with a straight face."

I'm saying it with a straight face and every other kind of face. You have your opinion and many disagree with it and the world goes round. The show brilliantly does what it set out to do - take Damon Runyon's characters and build a great musical around them. You can't compare this show to a Kander and Ebb show, for heaven's sake. Or a Sondheim show. It wasn't written today, it was written many years ago - it holds up perfectly. I'm sure you'd hate Li'l Abner, too, which also has a wonderfully funny and clever book.

[binau]

Posted: 6/18/23 at 6:01am

Mmm I’m happy for people to disagree with me or think it’s absurd even - I’m just describing my opinion and experience really and I have seen two different professional productions now. For me the time period the show was made is irrelevant because the claim is the bold marketing claim greatest of all time not greatest of the 1950s. If greatest means maybe top 50-100 fine. Others may see it higher, I don’t. 

[inception]

Posted: 6/18/23 at 9:30am

The MTI website lists about 100 current or upcoming productions of Guys & Dolls across the country. 

Bringing it to Broadway requires more than some gimmicky production with no-names from London.  Is that really any better than seeing someone's nephew do it at their highschool?

According to reddit, Bryan Cranston made a statement at a showing of Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City at the Angelika in New York that he will soon be returning to Broadway in a musical. He wouldn't say what, but we all know the rumors.

That's the kind of star power a revival on Broadway needs.  

Let the Londoners go back to their waiter jobs after their little show wraps.

[theatergoer3]

Posted: 6/18/23 at 9:37am

The rumors on Reddit did seem to circle back to the heavily rumored Damn Yankees revival as well for Cranston but not until 2025. 

Updated On: 6/18/23 at 09:37 AM

[JasonC3]

Posted: 6/18/23 at 9:46am

Why yes.

I can safely say this production is far better than see someone's nephew perform at their high school.